Windows XP SP2, with a Sound Blaster Live! 24-Bit sound card.

For some reason, Windows doesn't seem to detect my microphone. I've never had to do anything more than Plug-n'-Play. But speaking into the mic does nothing. I've checked my volume. I've checked the mic mute; it's off. Mic volume is at the TOP. The mic is on. It's in the correct hole. It's worked on this OS before under identical conditions. I've tried another mic, and it doesn't work either.

The mic is a QS-5838, but I've yet to find a driver for it.Dilbert. Are there DRIVERS for speakers? No, then what makes you reason for drivers for a microphone?

Is your PC recording from the mike?

Sounds and audio devices -> Audio tab -> Recording of sound -> Properties -> Volume -> Select "Microphone". It might be set to another input DEVICE.Raptor, I don't know about microphones, only that if there's a hardware issue, it can usually be fixed with drivers. Naturally, that's where I looked first. OK, consider me "not thinking clearly".

BTW, my speaker system did come with a CD (Creative 7.1), but in retrospect I don't think they were drivers, just some software to go with it.

An interesting complication: I have more than one volume control in that area. All of these are available in Audacity when I record. Here is the list:

Auxilary
S/PDIF-In
Line-In
Microphone
What U Hear

I have tested Audacity's ability to record with all of these, volume for them all set to their maximums in Control Panel and in Audacity. Only "What U Hear" seems to be recording from the computer (i.e. all sounds normally going through speakers). However, none of these seem to be accepting input from the mic. However, when I switch in Audacity from "Line-In" to "Microphone", I see a huge "pop" of sound appear on Audacity's visual display. Playback shows the kind of pop that one gets out of the speakers when the volume is up really high and you TURN on the PC. Switching from "What U hear" to "microphone" does not appear to have this effect.

I have tried plugging the microphone into the following places:

The "mic" hole on my sound card.
The "mic" hole on the onboard inputs.
The "mic" hole on the side of my PC box.
The "Aux in" hole on my subwoofer (not sure if that's supposed to be plugged in there or not, but it does not appear to have hurt anything).

OK, now the mic I'm trying to use may be a $6 piece of crap given to me by my grandmother, but I don't think the mic itself is having trouble. The other mic I used is a karaoke machine's mic that used an adapter to plug into the PC. I know, highly onorthodox, but both microphones used to work on this computer, and now for reasons I cannot comprehend, do not.

EDIT: I am installing the Sound Card drivers now. I can't believe this, but I forgot to do this. It appears to be the one variable left. I'm about to find out...

EDIT II: Done. In the Creative Control Panel, the microphone was muted. Ugh! Oh well. Works now. Thanks for the help, Raptor. No problem, Dilbert.

What's on the 7.1 CD? Must be samples. Or did you get a soundcard with the speakerset?Although you solved your problem, another microphone problem that people should be aware of involves Skype. I'm using a Sigmatel Audio card. I installed Skype and the default settings disabled my microphone. I had to go to Tools > Options > Sound Devices and then unclick "LET Skype Adjust My Sound Device Settings" for the microphoe to work again.Thanks for the heads-up, but I don't intend to use Skype; what I've got works more than fine.